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The first thought of 3D printing is construction material, blueprints, and even some innovative ideas about printing physical material. This thought of 3D printing has been re-invented over the past 3-5 years and has been making waves across the world. Major printer manufacturers are lining up to reinvent this type of printer and technologically advance its features. The possibilities of 3D printing are endless with the future unfolding. Even though still at its infancy state, there are some companies and technology enthusiasts which have decided to take 3D printing to another level. This next level could change the way how medical practice is done, save lives, and give humanity a much-needed foothold on life.

The new level of 3D printing which we speak of is a 3D printer which can print body tissue. Yes, you did read correctly, a 3D printer which can print human body tissue. Impossible, you say? Well that is what many said when the first person discovered the world is not flat or that space is impossible, but it is now a reality. There so many discoveries and unthought of inventions that lay within human beings. The untapped potential within society is only the beginning of our potential. 3D printing is now tailoring the impossible to now being possible. 3D printing of human tissue will essentially change the makeup of the medical industry and how tissue replacement is done.

This 3D printer was originally designed to build therapeutic biomaterials. With recent enhancements, this printer has printed test materials. The test materials that this printer is capable of printing is so complex and precise in its product that they closely resemble human tissue. One of the most remarkable features of human tissue is its complexity. Complexity in the design, function, and capabilities is what makes human tissue so hard to replicate. For this reason, when it comes to replacing tissue, the only replacement in previous years has been getting tissue from a donor. If this printer can pass the test of its products being able to not only have the complexity of human organs, but then to function the same, then this printer will essentially change the way how we currently go about replacing tissue.

Many people that need transplants and other body tissues could get immediate treatment and not have to wait on a donor list, someone to qualify, or run the risk of losing their lives. Revolutionizing the health industry is something that is often slow and coming, but when there is innovation to bring about that change, it is always worth the effort. Replacing human tissue depending on the need for that part could be at the cost of someone else’s life or even if not costing the other person their life, putting them at risk due to surgery. Eliminating this need is not only a desire, but also a requirement that this 3D printer can possibly solve.

Ali Khademhosseini, which is a professor at UCLA is leading the charge with this technology and is certain of its capabilities. According to Professor Khademhosseini, its about changing the approach which allows them the ability to build complex biocompatible structures from various materials. The brains behind the 3D printer is two components which allows it to create the complexity needed to achieve what other 3D printers cannot currently do. The first component is a custom-built microfluidic chip. This chip is the brains behind the flow of fluid into micrometer-sized channels. Each of the inlets that Is printed with different material. Within the microfluidic chip is over a million mirrors which move independently. This gives the function of being able to mix, pump, sort, or control biochemical environments. All of the aforementioned components work together. This process of functions cohesively working is called “automated stereolithographic bioprinting”.

Automated Stereolithographic bioprinting uses the mirrors in the microfluidic chip to redirect light on to the surface that is being printed. Due to the intensity of the light, it allows the printer to trace the object that is being printed. The intensity of the light cause molecular bonds that are formed called hydrogel bioinks which are used in tissue engineering. The molecular changes cause the organ to firm and extends. This is the same type of function which is done in human tissues whether it be lungs, liver, heart, kidney, or muscle.

The team at UCLA first started this project creating pyramids then rapidly realized that the potential of this product. So far, the team has built tumors and muscle tissue. These tissues that were 3D printed also come with their network of blood vessels. Excluding the muscles, the tumors are slatted to be used as biological models which in studies to treat cancer. Needless to say the potentials for this printer is not only needed, but also shows the direction that technology is going in the future. It Gurus Of Atlanta is the premier Microsoft partner of choice that will follow up to ensure that any innovations and changes in technology is captured and brought to focus for our audience.

In the highly competitive world that we live in today, its clear to understand that there is a strict competitive market building amongst the great tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Baidu, and other startup companies. All these companies have developed, deployed, and integrated their cloud based solutions with Artificial Intelligence. Artificial intelligence provides the steroids that the Cloud industry needs in order to accelerate its existence, growth, and empowerment. AI has developed key components to help itself with its constant learning processes. These processes can be better understood through “machine learning”. Machine learning allows information to be rapidly digested, conceptualized, and intelligently categorized by artificial intelligence. Cloud products such as Azure from Microsoft, AWS from Amazon, TensorFlow from Google, and more integrate machine learning into their systems to enhance the user experience and make mundane tasks to now be automated with little or no human effort involved.

With this evolution and the stiff competition there can be no collaboration in sight especially from rival companies which have no need to partner up, but to simply dominate their place in the industry. Surprisingly Microsoft and Amazon have done such a collaboration. This collaborated effort is not only to show that larger companies can work together, but also the data collected from this program allows both companies to be more successful in their domination of the cloud space. Microsoft and Amazon have come together to form Gluon. Gluon in the dictionary is defined as a “subatomic particle of a class that is through to bind quarks together”. However, this is not the same Gluon which are referring to. Gluon is the fist distinctive collaborative efforts of these technology giants in the race for Artificial Intelligence and gathering information. Gluon is considered the store-house for machine learning and the ability to “voluntarily” utilize machine learning in the development of products and services by Amazon and Microsoft. This storehouse of technological learning and a knowledge base that is bubbling over with information is the type of data warehouse that AI thrives on.

This cohesive collaboration between developers and machine learning have no blossomed what is dubbed “deep learning”. Deep learning essentially is a combination of three distinct components such as data for training, neural network model, and an algorithm which trains the neural network. The neural network essentially translates the data and feeds AI this information allowing AI to grow on a more diversified scale. This new algorithm that is now being utilized by neural networks self-adjusts its output based on errors in the network output. This is a memory and compute process that machine learning and AI adapts through predictive outputs. An example of deep learning is Caffe2, TensorFlow, Appache MXNet, and Cognitive Toolkit offers options to speed up the neural network which often takes days to compute the data being derived. These products now reduce the learning time and accelerates the parallelization in distributing computation processes.

Even though these products built within Gluon are effective and pose to change the way AI is developing by giving it more knowledge, the key is having developers to utilize these products to diversify and intensify the data stream. AWS has been experimenting with its developers by using MXNet to train the neural networks. Microsoft has become a heavy contributor the open source MXNet by opening it to an ever-increasing rise in developers. The collaboration and data being created and distributed by these two powerhouses with Gluon can be overwhelming for a beginner when first interacting with this program, but even for more advanced developers, the data intensive algorithms seem take a life of its own demanding more ways to conform and adjust with massive error reduction. The four key innovations which is introduced by Gluon are as follows:

Friendly API – using clear and concise code, it allows developers to learn and understand the data.

Dynamic networks – allows for ease of access and the rapid fluctuation of the data structure. Fluency in the data structure is critical for development as it allows hybrid scenarios and reduces stagnancy of the data flow as with previous machine learning software.

Algorithms that devein the network – Seamless combination of the model and algorithm allows the network to adjust definitions during training. This is critical as it allows developers to use programming loops, and conditionals. Algorithms are now easier to change, create, and debug.

High Performance Operators for training – Gives the ability to create dynamic graphs and concise APi without sacrificing speed. Previous versions seemed to have consumed valuable run time that this feature runs through effortlessly and drastically picks up speed.

The question now becomes, how does developers access Gluon? Well its provided through Apache MXNet and the future releases will have support for Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit. The AWS team has already published a front-end interface with low-level API to include other specifications and frameworks. Once accessing Gluon you can utilize an AWS Deep learning AMI to find a plethora of examples and workbooks utilized and documented by fellow developers.

Could this be a taste of what is to come from these super giant tech companies in terms of collaboration in order to leap ahead or is this just an opportunity for the public to advance an already thriving technology called Artificial Intelligence? These tech giants are clearly leveraging all aspects of “free data” and utilizing the voluntary efforts of developers world-wide to feed this neural network. As a partner for Microsoft, we anticipate that Microsoft as being the leader in products on the market will utilize Gluon in order to create more intensive, responsive, and advanced products built with AI as the backbone to reduce many processes and essentially speed up productivity. It Gurus Of Atlanta is your Microsoft partner of choice which brings you the cutting edge in design, technology, and its advancements.

As the world gears and braces for the inevitable impacts of Artificial Intelligence, Robots, and full automation, many are left with questions. Some people are worried about jobs as they diminish, and automation increases, there are concerns over where the job market will be headed. It’s amazing to grasp that just a few years ago, the computer, the internet, and the whole concept of technology took a foothold in society. Right now, because of the uprising, many jobs have literally disappeared and other once never thought of jobs now exist. The truth is that life and society change every day. The key that all of us need to understand is that for us to not get left behind, then we must learn, adapt, and change. We are either the ones changing the world, or the world will change us. Many fear that the combination of machine learning and artificial intelligence will spawn a new race of robots which will have their own version of right or wrong. However, the one discovery which has managed to go below the radars is very significant, even more so than AI, is the creation of “Artificial Embryos”.

In case you took a breather and did a recheck of what was said in the last paragraph, you are correct in what you read. An embryo is what cells combine to form and what houses the beginnings of life. We all as mammals start out as embryos after fertilization takes place. The embryo develops the cells which in turn have their own DNA sequence that multiply and divide, then manifest into different parts of the body which determine sex, hair color, arm length, bone structure, and all the characteristics of an offspring. All of this comes from an embryo. There are constant studies and new developments as scientists do research on this mysterious, yet crucial part of life. Yue Shao, whom has a background in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering made an astounding discovery during this research and experimentation that has profound possibilities in the world of biology.

Yue Shao has been experimenting with stem cells and scaffolds of soft gel to determine replication of neural tissue. By pure accident and experimentation, Dr. Shao stumbled upon more than was bargained for. The cells in the gel began to change and rapidly arrange at rate that was astounding. They began to form a lopsided circle. In comparison, the embryo that Dr. Shao created was very much aligned with the same type of embryo which was in the uterine wall and starting to form the amniotic sac. The human embryo and the embryo that Dr. Shao was working on was identical. The possibilities of this developing into a human required the Dr. to reach out to other groups to determine what to do with the embryo.

After more research and development, the team determined that the embryo would not fully develop into a human being because it did not have the cells required to form major organs such as a brain, heart, or placenta. However, even though the “embryoids” lacked the required cells, because of their indistinguishable likeness to that of human embryos, the team has been destroying the embryos in formaldehyde and detergent. The ethical repercussions of the embryo going full term and what would come out of that development is too much of a risk to bring to light currently. This does not stop Pandora’s box which has already been opened to push other researchers to now want to create a full human embryo. One particular group in Cambridge, U.K., has since developed a very convincing 6 day old mouse embryo and are now pushing the limits to create a human embryo.

Many may ask and wonder if the goal is to replicate human beings or to develop another race. For now researchers are limiting the research to focus on combining different stem cells to create bits of lung, intestine, and brain cells to make tissue. By the discovery of Dr. Shao, the race is now in place and the torch has been lit for the group to first develop an actual human embryo. A research group in Rockefeller University out of New York has joined the race and they are dubbing the new technology to be called “synthetic embryology”.

This breakthrough is biologist have been searching for as previous attempts at creating an embryo resulted in embryos only growing up to a week before diminishing. The new discovery was growing at such a rapid rate that superseded previous attempts that the team with Dr. Shao had to terminate the process because they had no concept of what the embryo would have developed into. Up until now much of the events that take place during the development of a human from the embryo stage is still a mystery. Human cloning and creating replicas of a person are all on the table with this epic discovery. Now the possibilities of unlocking the process beyond the failed attempts are currently on the table due to Dr. Shao.

To take this to another level, the possibilities of creating real skin, human organs and human traits would take an android to another level of advancements towards being more like human beings. With the advancements of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and now stem research, the possibilities are now endless. Where we will go with these advancements as we open doors, we will have to see the direction that we allow the technology to lead us. Infusing technology and biology is a conception which has been brought to light many years ago from the introduction of the computer. With the influx of data being readily available and the communication expansions that have connected us all allows for these developments to surge and expand. The more questions that we ask is the more technology responds with answers and advancements. IT GURUS OF ATLANTA prides ourselves as leaders in the technology space and will keep providing updates in this arena.

Microsoft and the government has long since been in a battle of the territory as the Microsoft cloud space becomes more viable and the more inexpensive solution for mobility. The Microsoft cloud space has taken off like a rocket in terms of businesses taking advantage of the cloud offerings such as Office 365, Azure, InTune, RMS, Dynamics 365, and more. All these products by Microsoft is giving businesses which were once steadfast and locked into a certain territory due to equipment and its maintenance, now the ability to have a global presence with access to their secured data. This is what Microsoft data centers are, which is essentially the cloud. It eliminates the need for conventional equipment while cutting costs and increasing the availability of the data.

Businesses have gone from whole, full fledged data centers into single standalone data backup solutions with their primary corporate data being housed on Microsoft servers. Microsoft has since boasted the a 99% availability for the data and its assets. To bundle up that high-availability, Microsoft has managed to make its products diverse enough to be used on any computer and innovative enough to where it can be shared, removed, administered, and manipulated with 100% sustainability. By proving this methodology and this products viability, Microsoft has taken a foot hold of the business community worldwide as the entire world is skipping to the beat of the Microsoft Cloud space.

The one entity, and typically is the last component to jump on a popular trend, is the government. Unless the government has a hand in the technology to house their own version of the product or have a secured version of the product that they manage, then they are a bit skeptical to join the band wagon with the rest of the world. For the questions about security and the ability to control or administer the data as per government standards and regulation is the reason Microsoft came up with Azure Government. This Azure space or data center space is specifically and strategically designed for the government to give them the foothold on their data that they require. Various government entities have been making moves towards Azure Government, but it has been a very slow and monotonous process due to the heavy testing and redesigning of certain aspects in order to accommodate the various government department requirements.

Microsoft announced this week to make even more concessions for the government and this is by far one of the greatest. Microsoft announced on Monday that they would allow the government to run Azure Cloud technology on their own servers. This gives the government full control over the cloud space, while being able to utilize Azure full scale with no possibility of the data being housed along with the private sector. Due to hacking possibilities and the security required at government facilities, this gives the government the ease of knowing that they can now utilize the technology without compromising the new currency, which is data!

The utilization of Microsoft Azure in the government space on their servers allows that silo capability that some of these agencies require, such as the military and embassies abroad. These sectors and segments of government will always require their own servers to manage the data being housed. This movement has been confirmed by Microsoft’s head of Global Infrastructure, which is Tom Keane. Tom’s idea is to utilize the Azure Stack in that scenario and make it more attractive to these siloed agencies to expand the reach of Microsoft Cloud technology in the government space.

Due to this move that the cloud space is making, the cloud movement is set to move up a whopping $74.7 billion, which is a 36% increase from 2017. These are the numbers pushed by Canalys due to their research and discovery. Currently out of that increase, Microsoft is set to house at least 14% of that increase in global cloud presence. As the world braces for more innovation from Microsoft and its partners such as IT GURUS OF ATLANTA, Azure Government is set to rapidly grow in the government sector globally. IT GURUS OF ATLANTA will continue to present updates to the Microsoft Cloud space as we are a trusted Microsoft partner of choice.

The future is here and the time is now. The future has been unfolding with each scientific discovery and every technological breakthrough. Between phones that seem to have no limitation, to flying cars, this year seems to be geared to changing the way we live including the way how interact. Humanoid robots such as Sophia are changing the landscape for what Artificial Intelligence robots are capable of. Sophia obtained her citizenship in Saudi Arabia and is now a part of the United Nations speaking on behalf of society standing up for human rights in different countries. For this reason, it is no surprise that the humanoid world is at the front of everyone’s mind to try and figure out what we will create next. Well IT GURUS OF ATLANTA has what’s next, and its call the WALK-MAN.

Yes, WALK-MAN is the popular name of the music player that rocked the world in the 80’s and 90’s that everyone could carry their music with them and not have to worry about a large boom box or radio. But that is not the WALK-MAN we are talking about. This WALK-MAN was invented by The Italian Institute of Technology or commonly called IIT. IIT has released several videos that highlights WALK-MAN’s capabilities during an emergency or a disaster. These critical features add value and time to when rescuers cant enter a building or when there is too much risk involved for a rescuer to get injured. In one of the videos, it shows WALK-MAN navigating an industrial plant after an earthquake. The room that WALK-MAN navigates through serves as an example if the room had fire and a gas leak.

During the video WALK-MAN is tasked with performing very specific tasks such as opening the door to enter the room, closes an open valve for the gas leak, moving debris, and then finally using a fire extinguisher to put out flames. A lot to do, well not if you are WALK-MAN who went through the exercise with ease and precision. In time WALK-MAN is slated to be one of the most revolutionary robots which will be able to assist humans during their most dire time of need, which is an emergency.

This is not the first time that IIT has tried to unveil WALK-MAN, but their second time. Their first premier of WALK-MAN happened in 2015. Between 2015 and now being 2018, there has been some notable differences that “upgrades” WALK-MAN in terms of he moves, what it conceives as a threat, and its overall capabilities. The new version of WALK-MAN is much lighter and not as bulky as its original version in 2015. The body is 1.85 meters (6 foot) tall, weighs 102 kilos (226 pounds), and can carry up to 22 pounds in each arm. The new sleeker design increases the robot’s ability and performance while cutting down on energy usage. WALK-MAN can operate up to 2hrs using a 1 kWh battery.

Being fully autonomous is not a capability of WALK-MAN yet. Currently controlling WALK-MAN is through human being wearing a suit with sensors to depict movement and actions. This accounts for 80% of the actions taken by WALK-MAN. Autonomy is on the table according to Tsagarakis, who is the project lead over WALK-MAN. He believes that it is essential to cut down on time that would normally be used by a human to decipher what to do. When WALK-MAN does become fully autonomous, then it will surely change the way we do rescues including save countless lives.

Many people look at technology in movies as a window into the future through the imagination of the mind. The mind believes that whatever it can conceive, that it can achieve. This is true in many aspects. We at IT GURUS OF ATLANTA like to look at the world as not just one-sided or 4 dimensional, but in a realistic spectrum of changes and events that are triggered by the way how we think and the decisions we make to achieve our goals. One of the ways that companies and innovators change the world is coming up with new technology that not mystifies the mind, but also captures the imagination.

One technology commonly depicted was in Star Trek where many were shocked in early 70’s to see devices which could teleport individuals from one point in the ship to another part, other ships, and even down the surface of other planets. A far stretch from the imagination this thought was years ago when the first episode of Star Trek aired and even after movies depicting this same technology appeared repeatedly. Well, the time for imagination to reach reality has finally come.

Scientists of two teams conducted their first teleportation successfully from inside a laboratory to just outside the vicinity of the laboratory proving that this ability to teleport is feasible. Since then teams of scientists have been trying to get this technology mastered, but have had much difficulty in achieving this goal. That is until a team of Chinese scientists completed their first successful teleportation of an object into a satellite orbiting Earth which was 311 miles away.

To be more specific, the Chinese team beamed a photon in the photo receiver of a highly sensitive satellite called Micius. A photon is a representation of what a fax does with a piece of paper and the other machine receives it on the other end. In order for the data to be replicated, it needs to read the data, translate it, and then it transfers the state of the object rather than the physical object. This is the same that is done with teleportation. The photon is that transmitted quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation. This photon is the first steps of transmission of data from one surface to another and it was received successfully.

Simply put, data can now be teleported instead of via wireless, radio, or other conventional frequencies. This completely makes cords and the limitations of data transmissions obsolete. The next phase in the process is sending physical beings. Sending physical beings is a bit more complicated as breaking down a beings physical chemistry, converting it into data, then the receiver having the ability to recompose the data and piecing the physical being back with all the data intact is a task within itself. However, the first phases of this technology are now underway and sending an object as a photon, then receiving it 311 miles away shows that we are on the right path. This not only changes the way how we transmit data today in the modern world, but also gives light into how could potentially travel in years to come.